Chinese smartphone vendor, iVoomi has launched yet another smartphone in the Indian market. Dubbed as the iVoomi Me5, the smartphone features the same hardware as the iVoomi Me 1+ released a few months back. In our full review of the Me 1+, we found out that the device is a decent performer and offers what you're paying for.
And today, the company has outed the Me5, which doesn't feature any changes compared to the Me 1+, sans the smaller price tag. Yes, the iVoomi Me5 costs a Rs. 500 less than the Me 1+ at Rs. 4,499. Along with iVoomi Me5, the company has launched the iVoomi Me4, which is priced at Rs. 3,499.
iVoomi has sent out a review unit of the Me5 smartphone. Here's how the device fared during the review period.
Note: As mentioned earlier, the iVoomi Me5 has the same specifications of iVoomi Me 1+. In fact, the design of the smartphone is also similar to the Me 1+. So the hardware and performance are the same of the Me 1+, you can check out the review of Me 1+ by clicking here. In this review, we will be covering only the software and battery life section of the iVoomi Me5.
Software
The highlight of the iVoomi Me5 is the software department because it is one of the smartphones available in the sub Rs. 5,000 price bracket to run the latest Android 7.0 Nougat OS. The device runs on Android Nougat 7.0 with May security patches installed.
The interface is almost stock with just little customisations made by the company. Unlike several other Chinese brands, iVoomi did not ditch the app drawer, and the Me5 comes with a launcher, which has an app drawer as well. However, the app icons are slightly customised and are rectangular, unlike the circular ones used by Google in stock Android.
Also, the stock Android Nougat features such as Quick Reply, and the Multiwindow mode is present as well on the phone. The Multiwindow mode also works, but there are only a few apps supports the feature at the moment.
There are some preinstalled apps such as Call History, Call Firewall, Super MyCallRecorder, and QuickTouch. All the apps are extremely useful, and they can not be uninstalled, which is a slight letdown.
Diving into the settings app, there are some nifty features such as gesture controls, under which the company had added controls such as double click to wake up the screen and draw a letter to open any application from the lock screen itself.
The user interface allows you choose apps which need to start at the startup, and you can even set up audio profiles. Further, you can set up emergency contact, which Google introduced with the Android 7.0 Nougat.
Overall, the user interface is smooth and fluid, and every feature included in the phone works just fine, including the double tap to wake feature and Multiwindow mode. iVoomi has done a great job optimising the software on the Me5.
Battery Life
The iVoomi Me 1+ offered a complete day battery life with a single charge. The iVoomi Me5 uses the same 3000mAh unit as the Me 1+ and offers better battery life than the latter. Yes, the device lasts for one complete day on a single charge, thanks to Android 7.0 Nougat optimisations.
However, my usage is limited to 'moderate,' such as replying to emails, push notifications, and an hour of calling via Jio 4G SIM card. With this usage, the smartphone offered a battery life of one complete day and constantly achieved a screen-on time of more than three hours. So, if you're looking for a decent battery smartphone in a tight budget, get the iVoomi Me5.
Conclusion
Besides the Android 7.0 Nougat OS, the Me5 offers similar performance, and the display is the same one as well. Having said that, the iVoomi Me5 costs Rs. 500 less than the Me 1+. For the asking price of Rs. 4,499, the Me5 seems to be a major contender in the entry-level segment. Do check our review of the Me 1+ for more information.
